Manifolding machine



April 28, w. G. BORCHERS MANIFOLDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 13, 1926 a [mcnfor Wm. Bore/26m Patented Apr. 1931 UNITED STATES Tm oFFrcE WILLIAM G. BOMBERS, OF 3030;, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB -TO AUTOGRLPHIC REGISTER COMPANY, OI HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY HANIFOLIDING mom Application filed November 13, 1926. Serial R0. mace.

This invention-relates to manifoldin machines, and more particularly to mac ines adapted to store therein. a record copy of the work performed on the machine.

e With some kinds of paperand under some conditions in record-storing types of manifolding machines, some difliculty has been .encountered in properly storing the record copy due to the fact that the record sheet has a tendency to curl and does notlie in the record compartment in a flat condition so that a neat pack is not produced. This tendency of the paper to curl when the paper stands for a considerable timein roll 1 form, is due to the fact that one surface of the paper is stretched more than the other surface with the result that as soon as the worksheet is free to do so it willcurl up.

It is an object of this invention to avoid this difiiculty, and this is accomplished by providing a longitudinally creased or embossed line inthe record copy. It has been found in practice that when the record copy is given one or more creases or embossed ridges it will lie substantially flat in the record compartment. Ifdesired, the record copy may be previously creased before it is placed in the machine, but, according to the present invention, it is preferred to crease or-emboss the record copy 'in the machine while it is being fed or advanced therethrough.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of, this invention, that at present preferredr Figure 1 is a side view of a record-storing type of manifolding machine with the sides broken away to show the supply and record'- storage compartment and the mechanism of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the record sheet creasmg means of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing one of the sheet creasers of the present invention and the means with which it cooperates.

As shown in the accompanying drawi the manifoldingo machine comprises si e' plates 10 and'a ttom 11 supported on feet 12. The'rear part of the machine between the side plates 10 constitutes. a supply compartment for a .pack 13 of worksheets which lie on top of the bottom 11, and from the pack 13 the worksheets 14 and 14a are led upwardly over uide rods 15 around which they bend'and f rom'which they extend forwardly so as to lie over a platen 16 upon which the worksheets '14 and 141'; are supported during writing operations. After a writing operationhas been performed, the worksheets are advanced by feed mechanism comprising feed rollers '17 and 17 a operated throu h gearing (not shown) by a crank or han 1e 18. When all of the'worksheets are thus advanced, the worksheets'l t are ejected or fed from the machine-at 19 so as to assume the positions shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, from which position they may be drawn u wardly and rearwardly over a severing 'fe 20 to be torn from the contiguous parts remaining in the machine and still under the control of the feed mechanism. The record sheets 14a,

however, are not ejected but. pass downwardly and fall onto a record su port 21, one upon the other, to form a stac such-as is shown inFig. 1, as they are severed one after another by a lmife (not shown) operated at the conclusion of the feeding operation. On this record support 21, the rec-' 0rd copies 14 are held against tampering until access is gained to the record compartment b means of alocked door 22.

As above stated, it is not infrequent that the record copies 14a, due to their tendency to curl, do not fall in a neat pack or pile on the record support 21 and when this occurs it is necessary to rearrange the record sheets 14a after they are taken from the machine. Moreover, occasionally, the record sheets 14a, when so disarranged, pile u in the record compartment so as to inter ere with the proper operation of the machine and necessitating the opening of the door 22 and rearrangement of the sheets before the machine can again beeperated.

This tendenc 'ofthe record strip to curl is inherent in e paper and is unavoidable and practically incurable smfar'as is now known. It is probably caused by the one surface of the aper being stretched or tensioned for a ong period more than the other surface of the paper which may occur when the paper stands for a protracted 3 period in rolled form.. It has even been found that .rerolling'of. the paper in the opposite direction and keeping it that way for a substantial period does not overcome this tendency, for no balanced condition can be had, and should the period during which the (paper is rerolled exceed. the initial rolle period or should the climatic conditionsfavor it, the paper will be bound to have a tendency to roll in the opposite direction which is almost'if not quite as bad as the former conditions. It has also been found that the aper, which has stood in a pack form as s own in Fig. 1, for a considerable time, still has the characteristics of difliculty due to curling, but best resultspaper is prohave been obtained when the vided with two 35 the form shown.

- It has also been found in practice that the paper may be previously creased as can be done in the press while the paper is being printed, but in such case, of course, the crease is not as effective as it is when made in the machine because the crease is ironed out due to the weight of the paper above it in the pack. Y

It has been found by experiment that the 5- record sheets 14a may be creased in the immediate vicinity of the feed rollers with good results. However, in the specific type of recording manifolding machine shown, it is preferable to cause the creasing to be 50. performed as the record sheets 14a are being introduced to the platen, for in the type of machine shown, there is provided certain convenient mechanism at the introductory side of the fplaten which facilitates the application 0 the invention thereto.

herefore, the worksheets are creased, according to the present invention, by means mounted on the guiding and separating frame 24 of the machine. This frame comprises side plates 24a held together by a suitable tie bar 25, and confined between the side plates 240 are the rollers 15 over which the strips 14 pass in being led to the platen. For the purpose of separating the work- 66-- sheets 14 and 14a as they approach the platen longitudinal creases, as in ractice that" a single 16 and also to place on the worksheets a predetermined drag or tension, a group of tensioning and separating plates 26 are mounted on the guide rod, see Figs. 1 and 2. These pivota y supported by the rod 15 in staggered relation rearwardly from the lower tension plate to the upper one. The plates 26 are pressed downwardly to firmly engage the worksheets 14 and 14a which pass separately between them by a bar 27 carried b the to plate 28 of themanifolding macliine. e top plate 28 is pivotedat -so that it may be swung upwardly to give ac cess to the separating and tensioning frame 24-25, for the purpose of allowing the operator to thread the worksheets around the guide rollers 15 and between the plates 26, and when held in place by gravity or otherwise causes the bar 24 to bear downwardly on the lates 26. Preferably, there are two sets of plates 26 as shown in the drawings;

The present invention utilizes the two lowermost plates designated 26a of each set of plates 26 to produce a crease 30 in the record sheet 1401 (Fig. 2) and for this purpose the two lowermost plates 26 are provided with embossed portions 31 lying directly above each other and preferably directly above a groove 32 in the platen 16,

see Figs. 2 and 3, when in operating position. Hence, when the gworksheets l4 and 14a are drawn by the feed mechanism comprising the rollers 16 and 17, the record sheet 14a is forced downwardly at its zone'in the immediate vicinity of the embossings 31' and filates lie one above the other and are a substantially V-shaped crease is produced in the record sheet 14w, the pressure on the plates 26 produced by the member 27 on the top plates 28 causing the record sheets 14a to follow the contour of the embossings 31 in the two lower plates 26w.

It is not essential that the platen 16 be grooved to receive the lower embossed plate 26, but by having it so grooved lateramovement of the embossed plates 26a: is provided and hence the creases 30 in therecor sheets 140. will be straight.

It should also be noted that if the laten 16 were provided with a groove, the ower most embossed plate 2601 might be discarded and yet the machine would work fairly satisfactorily, for in such case the then lowest.

plate 260; would force the record copy 14w into the groove of the laten. However, by providm the lower p ate 2612, the span between'the rst uide rod 15 and the laten is bridged and a danger of the wor heet dropping down in this gap is avoided. Moreover, the separator plates 26a may be shaped with more facilitiv and more accuracy than the late coul be grooved. As herein disclose it is unnecessary to have the groove 22 in the platen accurately formed so long as it is suflicient to prevent lateral movement of the embossed separator plates 26a.

When fed onto the record holding tray 21, the longitudinally creased sheets 14w are substantially flat, Ior the "creases 30 are not extremely deep, being only sufiicient to stifi'en the paper longitudinally and prevent its curling. The creases 30 in the record strip 1&0: have another advantage and that is to assist in alining the sheets 1401 laterally in the record pack. This is due to the fact that the creases 30 in the superposed record sheets 14a fit into each other and vibrations of the record support 21 cause them to be jogged into place.

From the above, it should be understood that the invention not only embraces the idea of creasing or otherwise chan 'ng the record copy so as to avoid its ten ency to curl, but also embraces the idea of having the record copy previously creased or Stiffened longitudinally for the same or an analogous purpose.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which. it is desired to obtain Letters-Patent, is a 1. In a machine of the character described having a platen over which worksheets are fed and guide mechanism for introducing said worksheets to the laten, means cooperating with said 'gui e mechanism for producing a crease inone of said worksheets to stiffen and prevent curling thereof.

2. In a machine of the character described.

having a platen over which worksheets are fed and guide mechanism for introducing said worksheets to the platen, means coop-- crating with said guide mechanism for producinga stiffening longitudinal crease in one of said worksheets as the same passes to the platen.

3. In a machine of the character. described having a platen over which worksheets are fed, means for separating and guiding the worksheets as they are introduced to the platen said means-including means for producing in one of said Worksheets a longitudi nal stifiening crease. I I

a. In a machine of the character described having a platen over which worksheets are fed, means for separating and guiding the worksheets as they are introduced to the platen comprising flat plates between which the worksheets are drawn, at least one of said plates being provided with a rib engaging one of said worksheets to produce therein a lon itudinal stiffening crease.

5. In a mac ine of the character described havinga platen over which worksheets are fed, means for separating and guiding the worksheets as they are having a platen over which worksheets are fed, means for separating and guiding the worksheets as they are introduced to the platen comprising flat plates between which the worksheets are drawn, at least one of said plates being rovided with a groove into which the wor sheet is pressedto produce therein a longitudinal stiffening crease,

Y and said platen being provided with a complementary groove into which the grooved portion of said plates extends to prevent lateral movement of said plate.

7. A manifolding machine having. a

platen for supporting a worksheet in position to be written'upon, a record compartment into which the worksheet passes after having been written upon, and means located at the introductor side of the platen for producing a longitu lnal crease 1n the worksheet to stiffen the same as the sheet is drawn from the platen.-

8. A manifolding machine havinga supply compartment for worksheets, a platen for supporting worksheets ,in position to be written upon, a record compartment into which the worksheet passes after having been written upon, and means engaging one of the worksheets as the latter advance toward the platen from said supply compartment for producing in the worksheet a longitudinally extending crease to stifienthe samE 9. A manifolding machine having a platen for supporting worksheets in position to be written upon, a record compartment into which the worksheet passes after having v been written upon, and means located at one end of the platen for producing a longitudinal crease in one of the worlmheets to stiffen the same as the worksheets are drawn from the platen.

Signed at Hoboken, in the county of Huds son, and State of New Jersey, this 5th day of November, 1926.

-- WILLIAM G. BORCHERS. 

